Perfect:In the last year you have no mortgage arrears, CCJs or defaults.Your credit score is high.

Fair:You may have an unsatisfied CCJ and an unsatisfied Default in the last 12 months and some missed unsecured payments.You may have a mortgage arrear in the past 12 months but you are up to date on the last 3 months.

Poor:Numerous small CCJ's below £300 and stafised CCJ's below £3000.You also may have 1 large CCJ/Mortgage arrear in the last 12 months.

Very Poor:You may have serious mortgage arrears, CCJ's and Default'sYou may have more severe adverse including IVA's/Debt Management plans and bankruptcies.

Secured Loan examples above are based on total borrowing of between 50-75% of the value of your property. Any lender / broker fees can be added to your loan which will increase the repayments and total amount repayable. Discuss this with your Promise adviser.Representative example for fair credit history (with all set up fees added to the loan) - £63,000 over 228 months at an APRC of 4.2% and an annual interest rate of 3.47% (variable) would be £398.62 per month, total charge for credit £24,400.36, total payable £90,885.36. This figure includes a Promise fee of £2,690. Actual repayments depend on your circumstances.

Home improvement loans

Important “info” about Promise:

The most direct lenders or we'll give you £50
Your expert adviser has direct* access to more 2nd charge lenders than anyone else. Find a larger direct panel within 30 days of applying and we'll give you £50.

Not a comparison site
We don’t quote you loans you clearly won’t qualify for and we don’t pass / sell your details to other brokers which can end up costing your more.

No upfront fees and no commitment
We don’t charge upfront fees and you can get our advice without paying a penny or being pressurised to go ahead.

Credit score not affected
We use a soft credit search to match you to suitable lenders. This doesn’t harm your credit score.

Fast and accurate decisions
We pride ourselves on being fast, thorough and getting the right loan for you at the outset which saves you time overall.

Easy and transparent
We explain everything we are doing and provide you with detailed updates so you can monitor every step of your application.

Brokers come to us for help - so can you
You can get direct access to our specialists in mortgages, secured loans, commercial finance, short term lending and development funding.

Promise’s reputation is built on 30 years experience, honesty, integrity, and having our customers interests at heart.
Old fashioned values with modern efficiency.

*Our "direct" pledge above means having an agency with a lender and the ability to advise on and submit loans direct to the lender - not via a third party or club.

Get our free loan help guidewith your quote

Do you own property in the UK?

YesNo

Is the loan to buy property in the UK?

YesNo

Sorry, We are unlikely to be able to help as our loans are secured on property

To estimate rates and repayments available try the calculator above.

Most people looking for a home improvement loan are home owners rather than tenants. This opens up a range of options including a secured personal loan or remortgage, through to a bridging or short term loan. Homeowners can also often obtain unsecured loans more easily.

Why consider a home improvement loan?

A home improvement loan can be raised using a second charge loan (also called a secured loan) which uses your property as collateral without needing to change your existing first mortgage. Also options can be obtained for your home improvement loan which are not as easily obtained through other finance sources.

Benefits of a secured loan for home improvements

You can borrow more and over a longer term than unsecured finance

Lower rates than most comparable unsecured loans

Flexible criteria may help those declined for a mortgage

Many credit profiles considered – including arrears, CCJ’s, Default’s and IVA’s.

Good for people with complex income scenarios such as self-employed and contractors.

You could borrow up to 100% of your property’s value (in some cases 125%)

You can debt consolidate at the same time with options to pay off loans early or pay extra each month to clear the loan sooner.

Various property types are accepted for secured home improvement loans, which can give you more options if your property is non-standard, including:

Some properties on the defective housing list

Ex-council – including high rise flats

Shared ownership – borrowing against your share

Buy to let property and HMO’s – privately owned or owned by a limited company

Commercial property

Properties which are part way through a major refurbishment – maybe with no bathroom or kitchen.

Using equity for your home improvement loan

Just like a mortgage, a secured loan allows you to borrow against the equity in your home. Equity is the difference between what you owe on your mortgage and the value of the property on the market today (not when your purchased it).

For example, if you owe £100,000 on your mortgage and your property is worth £200,000 then you have £100,000 in equity which can be used to raise additional finance for your remortgage or secured home improvement loan.

Secured loan lenders are available to borrow up to 125% of the value of the property – 25% more than what the property is worth but rates are higher as the lender has taken a greater risk. More competitive rates are available to borrowers who borrow 85% of the property value with the lowest rates for those borrowing 65% of the property value.

When might a secured home improvement loan not be right for you?

Your home is used as collateral for your home improvement loan, just like your mortgage so carries similar risks of repossession if you can’t keep up the repayments – you need to be comfortable with this and your Promise adviser will work out if the loan is affordable for you now and help you consider the longer term risks.

You might get a remortgage or further advance from your mortgage lender cheaper. However check that your mortgage rate won’t rise as it may be more cost effective to keep the existing mortgage and just borrow the home improvement loan with a second charge.

Secured Loans can normally be arranged far quicker than a remortgage but sometimes you need the money really fast. Unsecured loans are often the fastest way to raise a smaller amount of money in days rather than weeks. However you need to consider any difference in cost and risks.

Alternatives to a secured home improvement loan

Remortgaging

A remortgage is when you change your mortgage product to a different one and use the money raised to pay off the first mortgage. You can also raise the home improvement loan through remortgaging depending on the equity you have available but typically remortgage lenders are more fussy about who they lend to. Similarly to secured loans, a remortgage is secured on property which could be at risk if you fail to keep up repayments.

Further Advance

A further advance is when you use the equity in your property to ask the current lender to lend you more money as a home improvement loan without switching product. Normally the rates are not the same as your existing mortgage so it pays to compare them with a secured loan.

Unsecured Loan

Another option is an unsecured home improvement loan. These aren’t secured on your property so your house is not at risk if you fail to keep up repayments.

Benefits of unsecured finance include:

Speed – it is much quicker to get a home improvement loan this way so it is ideal if you need the finance urgently.

Normally cheaper to arrange as there is no valuation or arrangement fees

Available to tenants

There are some drawbacks to unsecured home improvement loans, including:

Shorter terms meaning the loan may not be as affordable

Smaller loan amounts – as there is nothing offered as collateral lenders are less willing to give larger amounts – most unsecured loans are up to a maximum of £15,000 which could mean a shortfall in your budget for your home improvements.

Often a higher interest rate unless your credit score is very high

Very dependent on credit history. Most lenders will be unwilling to lend if you have had credit issues in the past.

Other Considerations

When planning for a home improvement loan, there are various other factors besides finance that need to be considered

Affordability

When applying for your home improvement loan, there will be various checks to see if you can afford it. For most unsecured lenders a check on credit is sufficient, but for secured finance the affordability checks are far more in depth which helps protect you from debts you can’t afford to repay.

Due to new regulatory requirements, lenders offering secured home improvement loans have to do a full assessment of your income and expenditure to see how much disposable income you have once all of your regular bills have been paid. They will also make some assumptions about possible increases in interest rates to determine if you can afford the loan at current rates and if rates should rise.

Whilst using unsecured loans and credit cards may be easier and quicker a properly structured secured loan may leave you with more affordable payments in the long term and help you avoid credit difficulties in the future. If you already have unsecured debt you can also consider paying this off with your new secured loan to reduce your outgoings further.

Ultimately, the best source of finance for your home improvement loan will depend on your circumstances, what you need the money for and how long you need it. For example you may just want a loan over 10 years to build an extension. Alternatively, your house could be part way through a major rebuild or renovation, or it is uninhabitable and you need a short term loan to complete the works and sell the property.

You will find information about secured loans, bridging loans and commercial finance on the website.

Alternatively, call us to discuss your specific requirements on 01902 585020.
Whether the loan is for home improvements, a property deposit, £10000 or £200000, there are lenders looking to lend. Talk to Promise on 01902 585020.

2 out of 3 borrowers get a lower rate than our representative example of a regulated secured loan below:

Representative example – £63,000 over 228 months at an APRC of 6.1% and an annual interest rate of 5.39% (Fixed for five years – variable thereafter) would be £463.09 per month, total charge for credit is £42,584.52 which includes a £2,690 broker / processing fee. Total repayable £105,584.52.

THINK CAREFULLY BEFORE SECURING OTHER DEBTS AGAINST YOUR HOME

REPAYING YOUR DEBTS OVER A LONGER PERIOD CAN REDUCE YOUR PAYMENTS BUT COULD INCREASE THE TOTAL INTEREST YOU PAY.

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON A MORTGAGE OR ANY OTHER DEBT SECURED ON IT

CALLS ARE RECORDED FOR TRAINING AND MONITORING PURPOSES

APRC’s are variable on most loans. Fees apply. You can pay upfront and keep out of loan or add to loan and pay on completion only. Adding fees to loan will increase monthly payments, APRC and total repayable. Our fees cover mortgage references, consent to register a second charge, land registry searches, credit references, staff and variable costs. If a valuation is required this is paid direct to the valuer. Promise fee payable is linked to loan size from 1% to 10% maximum.

Written terms available on request. Loans are subject to affordability status and available to UK residents aged 18 or over. Promise Money is a trading style of Promise Solutions Ltd. Promise Solutions is a broker offering products which represent the whole of the specialist second mortgage market and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority– Number 681423. Registered in England, company number 04822774.
Registered Office: 2nd Floor, Fullard House, Neachells Lane, Wolverhampton, WV11 3QG.